LINCOLNSHIRE, IL (January 2016) – Spa Bleu in West Dundee & South Barrington, Illinois owned by Tammy Coakley recently was named to the SALON TODAY 200 by SALON TODAY magazine, the leading business publication for salon and spa owners.

The magazine’s 19th annual SALON TODAY 200 issue profiled the selected salons in its January 2016 edition. The 200 salons were honored for their best business practices from applications submitted by SALON TODAY readers, who represent the 20,000 top-producing salons and spas in the country.

“Our editors recognize that strong business leadership requires the mastery of a number of different best business practices,” said Stacey Soble, editor-in-chief of SALON TODAY. “The salons named to the SALON TODAY 200 for 2016 not only proved they excel in one or more of these areas, they also have created rewarding environments for their staff members and standout experiences for their clients. Their willingness to share their success offers our readers important business benchmarks and inspirational business-building ideas.”

For a salon to be named to the SALON TODAY 200, it had to meet the following criteria: 1) The salon or spa opened on or before January 1, 2013. 2) The salon is a provider of professional salon services including one, or more, of the following: hair care, nail care, skin care, body care or spa treatments; 3) The salon or spa generated annual service and product sales revenues of at least $250,000 per year since 2013; 4) The owner provided statistical information about his or her business and completed at least one of the Best Practice category essay sections; and 5) The applicant submitted documentation to verify financials if he or she competed in the growth or planned profitability categories.

Salon Today is a division of Modern Salon Media, which is owned by Bobit Business Media in Torrance, California.

Spa Bleu Trashion Show

By Ann Piccininni
Daily Herald correspondent

Outlandish, stunningly weird ensembles have been de rigueur on fashion runways in Paris and Milan for years.

On Sept. 18, an impromptu runway set up inside the Haight building in downtown Elgin went a step further when a charity fundraiser “Trashion Show” was presented by suburban salon, Spa Bleu.

Models sporting tops made out of paper, skirts fashioned from marketing posters and dresses assembled from discarded upholstery fabric sashayed and posed for a sold-out crowd of more than 250 attendees.

“It was an amazing evening and it surpassed everything we thought it would be,” said Colleen Fahy, team leader at Spa Bleu.

Fahy said more than 30 models, including three beauty pageant winners, displayed outfits created by salon employees and art students. One gown was made entirely from playing cards from the Grand Victoria Casino.

“All the garments are made from 100 percent recycled materials,” she said. “They’re all different.”

Fahy said proceeds, raised through ticket sales and a silent auction, will benefit Educate the Children International, a nonprofit New York-based organization that focuses efforts on improving the lives of women and children in Nepal. A devastating earthquake hit the country last April.

“It’s important for us to do things like this,” said Fahy. She said Salon Bleu, an Aveda salon with locations in West Dundee and South Barrington, is committed to charity fundraising. “Giving back is a huge company value.”

Fahy said the event raised more than $2,600 for the charity.

Danielle Hayes, a stylist at the salon, worked on creating three dresses with three other salon employees.

“My cousin is Miss Illinois. We kind of paired up with her. We’ve got some pageant royalty,” said Hayes.

Aubry Bozzano, Miss Illinois United States, served as a model, along with Miss Teen Illinois United States, Arnela Karabegovic and Marsha Lowe, Miss Puerto Rico United States. Karabegovic was named winner of the show.

Hayes said her work group’s projects employed origami flowers made from recycled encyclopedias, scrap upholstery fabrics donated by a local shop and basket-weaved newspapers.

“All the pieces were from scratch,” she said. “They all coordinate together. They’re really cool.”

Student volunteers from The Illinois Art Institute in Schaumburg made a total of 17 garments for the show.

“Our design students were very excited about it,” said Tammy Tavassoli, an assistant professor at the Schaumburg school. She said the students, who recently finished a class study about sustainability, embraced the chance to repurpose materials for a constructive cause.

Tavassoli said her students exhibited creativity and ingenuity, using wires and soda can flip-tops to produce clothing.

“I have a garment that is just newspaper,” she said.

Fahy said the Haight building was chosen for the event because it offers a chic, urban ambience.

“One of the stylists in the salon got married there,” said Fahy. “This is just the perfect place for us. It’s so cool in there.”

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL (January 2016) – Spa Bleu in West Dundee & South Barrington, Illinois owned by Tammy Coakley recently was named to the SALON TODAY 200 by SALON TODAY magazine, the leading business publication for salon and spa owners.

The magazine’s 19th annual SALON TODAY 200 issue profiled the selected salons in its January 2016 edition. The 200 salons were honored for their best business practices from applications submitted by SALON TODAY readers, who represent the 20,000 top-producing salons and spas in the country.

“Our editors recognize that strong business leadership requires the mastery of a number of different best business practices,” said Stacey Soble, editor-in-chief of SALON TODAY. “The salons named to the SALON TODAY 200 for 2016 not only proved they excel in one or more of these areas, they also have created rewarding environments for their staff members and standout experiences for their clients. Their willingness to share their success offers our readers important business benchmarks and inspirational business-building ideas.”

For a salon to be named to the SALON TODAY 200, it had to meet the following criteria: 1) The salon or spa opened on or before January 1, 2013. 2) The salon is a provider of professional salon services including one, or more, of the following: hair care, nail care, skin care, body care or spa treatments; 3) The salon or spa generated annual service and product sales revenues of at least $250,000 per year since 2013; 4) The owner provided statistical information about his or her business and completed at least one of the Best Practice category essay sections; and 5) The applicant submitted documentation to verify financials if he or she competed in the growth or planned profitability categories.

Salon Today is a division of Modern Salon Media, which is owned by Bobit Business Media in Torrance, California.

Spa Bleu Trashion Show

By Ann Piccininni
Daily Herald correspondent

Outlandish, stunningly weird ensembles have been de rigueur on fashion runways in Paris and Milan for years.

On Sept. 18, an impromptu runway set up inside the Haight building in downtown Elgin went a step further when a charity fundraiser “Trashion Show” was presented by suburban salon, Spa Bleu.

Models sporting tops made out of paper, skirts fashioned from marketing posters and dresses assembled from discarded upholstery fabric sashayed and posed for a sold-out crowd of more than 250 attendees.

“It was an amazing evening and it surpassed everything we thought it would be,” said Colleen Fahy, team leader at Spa Bleu.

Fahy said more than 30 models, including three beauty pageant winners, displayed outfits created by salon employees and art students. One gown was made entirely from playing cards from the Grand Victoria Casino.

“All the garments are made from 100 percent recycled materials,” she said. “They’re all different.”

Fahy said proceeds, raised through ticket sales and a silent auction, will benefit Educate the Children International, a nonprofit New York-based organization that focuses efforts on improving the lives of women and children in Nepal. A devastating earthquake hit the country last April.

“It’s important for us to do things like this,” said Fahy. She said Salon Bleu, an Aveda salon with locations in West Dundee and South Barrington, is committed to charity fundraising. “Giving back is a huge company value.”

Fahy said the event raised more than $2,600 for the charity.

Danielle Hayes, a stylist at the salon, worked on creating three dresses with three other salon employees.

“My cousin is Miss Illinois. We kind of paired up with her. We’ve got some pageant royalty,” said Hayes.

Aubry Bozzano, Miss Illinois United States, served as a model, along with Miss Teen Illinois United States, Arnela Karabegovic and Marsha Lowe, Miss Puerto Rico United States. Karabegovic was named winner of the show.

Hayes said her work group’s projects employed origami flowers made from recycled encyclopedias, scrap upholstery fabrics donated by a local shop and basket-weaved newspapers.

“All the pieces were from scratch,” she said. “They all coordinate together. They’re really cool.”

Student volunteers from The Illinois Art Institute in Schaumburg made a total of 17 garments for the show.

“Our design students were very excited about it,” said Tammy Tavassoli, an assistant professor at the Schaumburg school. She said the students, who recently finished a class study about sustainability, embraced the chance to repurpose materials for a constructive cause.

Tavassoli said her students exhibited creativity and ingenuity, using wires and soda can flip-tops to produce clothing.

“I have a garment that is just newspaper,” she said.

Fahy said the Haight building was chosen for the event because it offers a chic, urban ambience.

“One of the stylists in the salon got married there,” said Fahy. “This is just the perfect place for us. It’s so cool in there.”